MALKERNS– Indigenous ingredients often dismissed as weeds were transformed into gourmet Nguni desserts as Chef Sive Bhembe captivated audiences at the Standard Bank Luju Food and Lifestyle Festival.
Traditional ingredients growing in homesteads across Eswatini took on a new identity at the festival when celebrated chef Sive Bhembe showcased how they could be transformed into fine-dining desserts.
Cooking on the Nguni Foodways Stage, Bhembe demonstrated that ingredients commonly associated with traditional cooking, including umsobo (African nightshade berries), emasi (sour milk), millet, macadamia nuts and honey, could be elevated into sophisticated desserts worthy of restaurant menus.
The demonstration, titled Nguni Desserts by Chef Sive & Wine Masterclass/Tasting by Cork & Co, formed part of the festival’s celebration of indigenous food systems and culinary heritage.
Bhembe told festivalgoers that many indigenous ingredients were unfairly overlooked because they were viewed as weeds or ‘poverty foods’, despite their versatility in modern cuisine.
He said he was contributing to an upcoming indigenous fine-dining cookbook, which would further showcase African ingredients in contemporary gastronomy.
Using umsobo gel, whipped strained emasi, millet granola, honey-soaked macadamia nuts and panna cotta, the chef prepared a dessert plated in three different styles to demonstrate that presentation could completely transform the same ingredients.
He explained that strained emasi develops the consistency of cream cheese, while agar-agar provided a plant-based alternative to gelatine, allowing the dessert to maintain its structure during the live demonstration.
One of the highlights was a millet tuile designed to resemble Nguni cowhide patterns, bringing together the connection between food, culture and identity. Bhembe encouraged people to rethink indigenous foods growing in their own gardens, saying they should no longer be discarded simply because they were unfamiliar in modern kitchens.
He said understanding where food comes from encouraged people to become custodians of the land while preserving indigenous knowledge for future generations. The demonstration concluded with audience members sampling the desserts alongside specially selected wines, highlighting how indigenous African flavours could be paired with premium wines to create world-class dining experiences.
Chef Sive Bhembe urged festivalgoers to stop overlooking indigenous ingredients such as umsobo, saying they could be transformed into elegant desserts and other gourmet dishes. “We can make beautiful cuisine out of indigenous ingredients,” he said, encouraging people to preserve traditional food knowledge and understand where their food comes from.
Lobamba Lomdzala farmers in the spotlight
MALKERNS- Macadamia farmers from Lobamba Lomdzala received recognition during Chef Sive Bhembe’s demonstration after their locally produced honey-soaked macadamia nuts featured as a key element of the dessert.
The chef praised the farmers for producing quality ingredients that could be incorporated into fine dining, while audience members were reminded that world-class cuisine begins with local producers. Guests were also quizzed about where the macadamias were grown, with the correct answer earning one attendee a prize.
Dirkk Harris brings wine experience
MALKERNS- Wine expert Dirk Harris took festivalgoers through a masterclass pairing Chef Sive’s indigenous dessert with his Sense of Soil 2024 Bush Vine Chardonnay from Stellenbosch.
Harris is a Stellenbosch based wine entrepreneur and director of the Michelangelo International Wine & Spirits Awards. He said the Chardonnay’s vanilla, buttery and caramel characteristics complemented the panna cotta and millet, while its acidity balanced the tartness of the umsobo. He encouraged guests to taste the dessert before sipping the wine to appreciate how the flavours worked together.
The wines are distributed in Eswatini through Cork & Co where Harris said the Sense of Soil range is exclusively available in the country. During the session, guests were encouraged to visit Cork & Co and wine-tasting stations around the festival, including The Grapevine, the Premium Lounge and the Fashion Café.
